Segregation of HLA A,B haplotypes and the distribution of antigen mismatches between mother and offspring in Hutterite families

Segregation of HLA haplotypes and offspring genotype distributions were analyzed in families from an inbred Caucasoid population, the Dariusleut Hutterite Brethren. Both parents and from one to 12 offspring were typed for HLA-A and -B antigens in 108 families. Segregation of paternal haplotypes was analyzed conditional on sibship size in 95 sibships (a total of 547 offspring), and segregation of maternal haplotypes, in 90 sibships (a total of 515 offspring). The distribution of the number of different genotypes among the offspring was analyzed conditional on sibship size in 90 families (515 offspring) where four equiprobable genotypes were expected. The distribution of the number of antigenic differences or mismatches for broad specificities between mother and offspring was analyzed in pooled family data consisting of a total of 377 offspring comprising 68 families. Compared with the multinomial distribution of segregation classes of haplotypes, there was no significant departure (probability .05 or less) from the expected segregation ratio for either paternal or maternal haplotypes. Compared with the multinomial distribution of the number of genotypes among the offspring, only two of the 11 sibship sizes had configurations that exceeded the 5% level of significance. Given the number of statistical tests performed, it is likely that these results could be explained by chance variation. Finally, there was no relative deficiency of offspring who were less mismatched with their mother for HLA-A and -B broad specificities. Therefore, if HLA-A,B region variation does have a major effect on the differential survival of fetuses in some families, it is an uncommon factor among fertile couples from this inbred population.